Helping Hands

The gentleman was in his early thirties, smartly dressed and quietly spoken. He asked for directions to Platform 7. Happy to oblige, Mr C put his overnight bag on the floor and in his usual way gave the polite stranger directions to platform 7, gesticulating wildly as he did so.

His wife and travelling companion, Mrs C smiled knowingly and, used to her husband’s flamboyant ways, continued to watch the flow of people coming and going on the platform. She heard the gentleman thank her husband and hurry away. Mr C turned to pick up the overnight bag. It was no longer on the floor between them.

Mr C, a high net worth customer of D E Ford, notified the station officials at St Pancras and then rang his broker on his way home. The bag contained the usual array of items for a weekend away, but also Mrs C’s expensive special occasion jewellery which she had worn the evening before at the Albert Hall. Fortunately Mr. & Mrs C’s household policy provided the cover they needed and D E Ford was able to forward copies of the valuations they had on their file to insurers, this ensured that the claim was settled promptly.